Israeli nurses visit Burnley General Hopsital

The five spent the day touring the chemotherapy suite and shadowing nurse specialists as they carried out their duties, learning about the organisation and planning behind the hospital’s “named nurse” method that ensures patients are cared for by the same nurse, wherever possible, throughout their treatment.

The visiting nurses, who all work in cities close to conflict zones, travelled to the UK to learn about the use of chemotherapy tablets, which can be used to treat many types of cancers and, because they can be taken at home, could save seriously ill patients from having to travel across dangerous areas to receive treatment. The chemotherapy unit at Burnley General Hospital is a satellite clinic run in conjunction with the Rosemere Cancer Centre at the Royal Preston Hospital.

Specialist nurses administer treatments and take charge in managing the side-effects and other illnesses often felt by patients undergoing chemotherapy. The nurses from Israel were also told about the Fast Access to Cancer Treatment Support programme which educates staff and patients involved in cancer treatment to spot signs of further illness.